Lucky_man

Please consider my position which I am sure is not unique.

I book a lot of flights for guests - just on the website. I do it with Qantas because it is easy for me (I am familiar with it) and yes I take them to the lounge and see them off with my QP status.

Now if I want to take them to the lounge I MUST book Virgin (and pay 3 x $30 for lounge access) - I am yet to check the details - this is from memory.

By not allowing guests to be the QF travellers you've just kicked us informal volunteer QF hosts out of the lounge AND OFF THE PLANE!

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

I have used the 'anytime access' only four or five times over the last few years (when I was plat until last month).

Mostly it was ex HKG when I was flying intra-asia and unable to get a suitable ow flight... so once before a China Eastern connection to PVG, once for an air china flight to BKK, and once for a jet airways flight to India. Each time the QF lounge was deserted, so overcrowding was not an issue.

The other time was prior to a 3K flight ex SIN to BKK - the louge had half a dozen people until the QF10 arrived. So maybe they had a basis on that grounds to restrict my access.

It was a benefit that would encourage me to get back to plat - but not annymore!!

anat0l

I don't think you can access The Lounge if you are not travelling. You can certainly purchase the $30 passes and give them to your guests for redemption at the counter.

perthite

How does that work? Passes purchased online are stored electronically on your Velocity Account.

bugayev

To me, the anytime access is a clear way of distinguishing the additional benefits you get as a Platinum FF over the Gold level. Whilst I understand access to the business lounge is only when you are flying, is it really such an overcrowding issue with hundreds of WP's popping into the Qantas Club for their morning coffee?

I've used it three times in the past year. Each was to send off a friend or family member in comfort, and each time the lounge was not appreciably full.

IC6A

I for one as Platinum actually support the idea.

You fly, you go to the lounge.

You do not fly, you stay at home or work place.

Qantas has my vote.

thadocta

The whole issue of providing the J lounges as a means of relieving overcrowding is a furphy of the highest order.

The overall real estate used - between the QP at first instance, and the QP and J Lounge after the redevelopment - is exactly the same, in fact possibly slightly less, given the additional service counters and other facilities.

So you have the same number of people, using the same amount of space, results in the same amount of overcrowding.

(Doesn't worry me, I routinely like to stand anyway, and there is always standing room - but don't let the overcrowding issue be used as a justification for the creation of J lounges).

And, btw, welcome to Red Roo, I was speaking to Geoff's PA about two years ago about FlyerTalk, and mentioned to her that it would be good to get an official presence, I hope you can keep posting, and that it is a two way thing - that you can take feedback from us to QF, and that you can provide us with some insights.

Dave

vecta

I've only used the anytime access domestically, and used it frequently. The overcrowding issue I wouldn't think was due to too many WP's using the anytime access privelidge, more like generally too many flying pax having status and not enough lounge space.

FWIW, yesterday at DRW heading out to ADL on QF757 - I arrived about an hour prior to departure, flashed the BP to the dragons, walked in and grabbed a glass of OJ as you enter, glanced around to see not a single place to sit or to stand (as per those high tables with no chairs), walked around the place once and confirmed that there infact was no where to sit, and promptly walked out and sat in the main hall where there were stacks of nice seats/lounges to sit on.

From memory the last time up at DRW was similar...

drewbles

Am I possibly missing something here Red Roo? You've said that we'll 'be welcome to use our lounges to freshen up or whilst waiting for colleagues of friends arriving on other flights'. How is this going to work if the Platinum Member needs to be travelling on the day? It certainly doesn't appear to be the case based on the terms and conditions change you made. All it really seems to grant is access on landing to use the lounge as an arrivals lounge. That's all good, but it's certainly not letting us use it as a place to wait for your family to arrive etc.

Or am I totally missing something...?

And welcome to FT. Here's hoping your bosses let you post more on here, as whilst we've always been aware of the unofficial 'lurkers', a bonafide representation like those on BA/DL forums would be great. It would also go a long way towards building a good relationship with your probably most frequent flyers (some of the miles some people around here do on QF metal is astounding).

perthite

To me, waiting for colleagues arriving on other flights implies you've arrived on a flight as well.

drewbles

I know where you're getting at, but I wouldn't have thought that many of us here would be in that situation. I'd be more likely to wait in the lounge whilst waiting for my family to visit me (I'm the only one living on the east coast so they come over a few times a year) and would have thought this was what more people would use the access for.

orac

I am in the same boat - it is a devaluation of benefits over the years that makes me sit up and evaluate why I bother. I now see air travel as a means to an end rather than a big deal on its own

I have read the comments in this thread a few times and there are a number of good points. My thoughts on where I am with Qantas for what it is worth is as follows - I understand this is a Plat thread and I am only Gold:

# I see myself as just a number in 2010 - nothing more nothing less. I do not sense I am a customer and one of the reasons they are in business. I travel on a lot of domestic flights to retain my Gold level each year. All in economy and the cheapest flight of the day. No international business travel for me to retain status quickly.

# Over crowding in the lounges is an issue and I find I am going to the lounge only to check tickets/flights with the counter there. More and more I am spending waiting time for flights walking around the terminal or finding a quite sport outside the lounge to do some work.

# As each year goes by, things related to Qantas that used to cost nothing now have a value attached - benefit to Qantas not me.

# I have found it very difficult to redeem the FF points I have on flights to the UK or the US. There are too many people competing for a smaller pie each year.

# With international flights myself and my wife are taking (from Cairns) we now go on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong then the best deal West. With flights to the US I go on Continental to Hawaii and then the best deal East. Qantas have priced themselves out of my market for 'dollar and service value' - high price and low to mediocre service.

# In 2011, I hope Virgin goes well with their new CEO. I am starting to move more of my flights across to them and this will increase in the New Year. I will loose my Gold status early next year as the majority of travel domestically will be with Virgin.

As is the case with lokijuh, I am over it as there is better value and service elsewhere.

jcjchung

I naturally earn enough SC to be Platinum. Raising SC requirements to 2100 SC to qualify platinum means I will be downgrade to Gold in the future. Im sure there are hundreds of people who are also in the same position. How is this going to solve the overcrowding issue in the lounge? The first class lounges are always empty and QC lounges that are already crowded will get even more crowded.

There is no point of doing a milage run after hitting gold.

By the way, whats the deal with the new baggage rule? These are budget airline rules ie easyjet, tiger airways adopt. I remember the days when bags were calculated by per pcs. Since our company has to carry samples around the country for road shows, the staff would always fly QF. The rules than changed to by weigh and now QF is adopting a low cost airline baggage strategy. There will be people across different industries where they will have to travel with lots of samples. I wonder who can offer us a better deal now??

perthite

There has been no change in the requirements to attain or retain platinum. It is still 1400 to attain and 1200 to retain.

d00t

Yours is the only post in 300+ on this topic that gives the green light for the proposed changes. You reading the threads at all?